Tiruchendur faces development gaps in industry and infrastructure

Tiruchendur, the town that houses the second abode of Lord Muruga on the shores of Bay of Bengal, is gearing up for the forthcoming Tamil Nadu general assembly elections, with several unresolved civic and infrastructural issues.

Since 2001, the Tiruchendur constituency voters have consistently elected Anitha R. Radhakrishnan as their MLA, and it is to be noted that he was the MLA of AIADMK in 2001 and 2006, before joining DMK.

However, the major town of the constituency, which is Tiruchendur and other parts continue to face several unresolved concerns.

One of the major issues in Tiruchendur is rampant intrusions of sewage connections into the canal, which carries the surplus water of Avudayar Kulam, to the sea. Residents from the region believe that most of the lodges and hotels divert their drainage connections into the canal, leading to severe contamination.

Ganesan, an autorickshaw driver from the region, said, “The canal carrying surplus water into the sea is contaminated and is choked by plastics and other wastes. The stench in the area is intolerable and has led to a mosquito menace.”

He alleged that drainage connections from hotels, lodges and some houses have diverted into the canal.

In addition, treated water pumped from the Tiruchendur municipality’s sewage treatment plant in Thoppur is also reportedly being discharged into the canal, Mr. Ganesan charged.

He further said that the canal must be desilted and adequate measures taken to prevent sewage intrusion.

Another major concern raised by residents of coastal hamlets in the constituency is inadequate supply of drinking water.

Rani, a resident of Kulasekarapattinam, highlighted that they are provided with drinking water once a week and that too for a limited duration.

“Though some houses in the village are provided with government drinking water tap connections, many houses are still left out, leading to long queues in the public drinking water tap points,” she added.

Another resident from Veerapandiyapattinam also echoed the similar concern, noting that the government must take adequate measures to address the drinking water needs of coastal hamlets in the constituency.

Ecological concerns related to sea accretion have become a huge concern among the fishermen of villagers, including Veerapandiyapattinam and Manappad.

While the government has deployed earthmovers to remove the sand as a temporary measure, fishermen insist that scientific and long term solutions are required

A fisherman of Veerapandiyapattinam said, “Though temporary remedial measures have been taken, they are not sustainable. Proper planning and permanent solutions are needed.”

Another resident from the region pointed out, “If the government is constructing a groyne or other structures in the sea, they must assess the impact on nearby coastal villages to prevent further erosion or accretion.”

The constituency also has GI tag awarded products such as Udangudi Karupatti and Athur Betel leaves. However, producers feel that there has been inadequate government support to promote these products.

Gunaseelan, a Karuppatti trader from Udangudi, said that despite the region having one of the highest numbers of Palm trees in Tamil Nadu, there are no industrial developments to promote palm based by-products.

“Many palm tappers are not even enrolled in the Palm Workers Welfare Board, as the board does not provide any significant subsidy or other welfare measures to these tappers. Actions must be taken to enroll palm tappers into these welfare boards, which further strengthens the community, as tappers in the region are steadily declining,” he added.

Mr. Gunaseelan noted that adequate inspections must be carried out by FSSAI officials to promote quality karuppatti from the region.

He also highlighted the need to replenish and restore tanks such as Sadayaneri Kulam in Udangudi union to increase the water resource in the dry region.

“Every year around 1,200 cusecs of water is released from Marudhur anicut Sadayaneri Kulam. However, by the time it reaches the tank, only around 200 cusecs of water is available, which is not sufficient. The amount of water released from the anicut must be increased to boost the groundwater table in the region,” he noted.

He added that around 60 buses from Udangudi are operating to Chennai, indicating migration due to lack of agriculture and industrial opportunities in the region, and stressed the need for local employment generation.

Published – April 03, 2026 09:56 pm IST